Into the Wild
by Miasmic
Summary: After moving to a new city, Sakura vowed to start over - she'd start working out, make new friends, get a new job; all of which proved way easier in theory than in practice. Couldn't she just get a break already? Perhaps make at least one friend? And maybe (not) get run over by really hot guys in the park? / SasuSaku AU / Rate M for language, sexual themes, drug/alcohol use
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Sooo here's a new story I just randomly decided to start! I'm just writing it for fun while I work on my more serious story, A Million Pieces of Eight. Since I've been focusing a lot of my time on that (as far as content and plot goes), this story will be waaaay less developed, and honestly just for my own entertainment haha

Konoha here is supposed to be modeled after Manhattan/NYC. I don't live in Manhattan but I often visit a friend who does, so I know a bit of the area (I _love_ Central Park), and some of the experiences will be my own (but very few)

Rated M for language, drug use, and sexual themes

I hope you enjoy!

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Into the Wild

by Miasmic

Chapter I: Hell

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"This summer's gonna hurt like a mothafucka… fuckaahh," Sakura hummed, silently jamming out to the deafening music from her earbuds as she stretched her calves against a nearby rock. It was a hot summer day in the city of Konoha, the sun shining liberally through the clear sky and beating down on the masses of runners lining the paths of Memorial Stone Park.

 _Just 30 minutes, you can do this,_ she self-motivated, eyeing several joggers effortlessly zip past her, _It's so goddamn hot out though, like how the hell are these people not dead? Fuck this, I need to join a gym or something, I'm going to have a heat stroke... No, that's such a waste of money. You're too poor for that. Oh my God, I'm already sweating and I haven't even moved!_

Sakura swung her arms and jumped in place in an effort to pump herself up and not seem like a lazy-ass to the couple sitting on one of the nearby benches, who had undoubtedly been scrutinizing her fifteen minute long "warm up" routine. Her long pink hair was pulled tightly back into a high pony tail, a thick black headband pushed along her hairline to prevent any loose strands from invading the frame of her face for what was sure to be a grueling workout.

 _You look so legit, at least if you pass out people will think it was because you were being a badass bitch,_ Sakura thought, swinging her arms one final time, _Yeah, a badass motherfuckin' bitch._

With a reassuring nod Sakura exhale heavily, stepping out onto the gravel road and letting herself become completely consumed by the beats of her workout playlist, which had been artfully engendered just hours before.

"This summer's gonna h—"

Merely seconds after stepping onto the path Sakura felt the wind knock out of her chest, the impact of bone against bone pulsating through her body and forcing her onto the ground, earbuds and all. She winced, tiny pebbles sticking to the palms of her hands and arms as she attempted to gather herself, not knowing exactly what had just happened. The whole left side of her body ached with pain.

 _Did I just get hit by a car?!_ Sakura hissed, gaging the cuts on her elbows and patting away any lingering gravel.

"Are you fucking blind?!" A deep voiced barked, and Sakura knew it was directed at her. She was vaguely aware that she had stepped directly in the path of a fellow runner— who had been running like a fucking Olympian— and that it was almost entirely her fault. Even so, Sakura couldn't help but feel incensed at his words. Who the _hell_ did this guy think he was, talking to her like that?

"Hey! I have 20/20 vision thank you very much!" She seethed, whipping her pink head around to glare up at the man, "And don't blame me because _you_ couldn't stop _your_ _fat ass_ in time before you almost—" The retort that had so easily begun to pass through Sakura's lips suddenly caught in the back of her throat, replaced instead by a thick glob of saliva as her eyes finally scrutinized the person towering above her.

She wasn't sure if their collision had had any effect on him whatsoever, since he was now standing completely upright, not a single scratch or blotch of dirt visible on his body. He was shirtless, a thick layer of sweat glistening over his ivory chest, muscles tensing with every labored breath he took. His shaggy ebony hair was slicked back with sweat, revealing a myriad of striking, perfectly proportioned features— a chiseled jaw, a widows peak, a straight nose, and piercing eyes, to name a few.

 _Holy shit, marry me?_ Sakura prayed, gulping the buildup of saliva along with all of her dignity.

Were it not for the scowl marring his gorgeous face, Sakura might have forgotten all about his insolence and proposed right on the spot.

"Yo bastard, what the fuck? Let's go!" A voice called from further down the road.

Sakura's eyes searched for its owner, spotting a blonde boy, roughly the same age as her assailant, jogging in place no less than 40 feet away. He was also shirtless and equally as sweaty— go figure— and it suddenly occurred to Sakura that maybe she did get hit by a car and was now in heaven. _Not gonna lie though, if this is heaven I'm a little disappointed. Like, only two of them?! Where did I go wrong?_

The dark-haired man growled under his breath, snatching Sakura's elbow and roughly pulling her to her feet. He gave her a once-over, dark eyes briefly locking with her emerald ones— in that instant Sakura _swore_ time stopped— before running off towards his blonde buddy.

 _The fuck? He's leaving me?_

"Asshole!" Sakura shouted, her lower lip jutting out crossly, "You owe me an apology!"

The handsome prick, without bothering to turn around as he and his friend proceeded to sprint down the road, raised his right fist and offered her a single middle finger.

"Yeah fuck you too," Sakura mumbled, kicking the gravel. Her palms stung, blood dripped down her elbows, and the relentless sun was even hotter than before, causing beads of sweat to drip down her temples. Not to mention the finest man she had ever laid eyes on had just escaped her clutches before she could even put a ring on it.

 _Heaven? Yeah right, more like hell._

* * *

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Sakura was panting as she reached the entrance of her apartment, tiredly retrieving her keys from the tiny pocket of her leggings. She had successfully finished her 30 minute run in the park— a feat that was by no means easy for her, requiring several mid-run breaks to cool off from the grueling sun—by the end of which she was shamefully exhausted, even more so when she realized that she had to travel up four flights of narrow stairs before reaching a cold shower.

 _Oh my_ God, _what has college_ done _to me,_ Sakura frowned, opening the apartment door, _I'm so out of shape it's ridiculous._

Stepping inside, Sakura's frown only deepened, having forgotten yet another crucial detail of her apartment: no working air-conditioning.

It's not that Sakura was a very forgetful person, per se— actually, she was quite the opposite— it was just that she was still getting used to this new setting. She had moved to Konoha a few weeks ago, a sense of independence and a strained relationship with her parents driving her away from her home town and her old days of community college. Come fall semester, she would be attending Konoha University as a rare senior transfer student. Although it was her first time on her own financially, and in an unfamiliar place, she couldn't be any happier with her decision. Life in the city was so much more exciting than life back home.

Her shabby old apartment— which in reality wasn't that shabby, considering it was located in one of the wealthiest districts of the city— was cramped, but in a way that made it surprisingly homey and space-efficient. The kitchen was small and nestled in a corner to her immediate left, a door leading to the bathroom just a few feet adjacent the refrigerator. To her right was a metal spiral staircase, which led up to two bedrooms— if you could even call them bed _rooms_ — and a quaint rooftop terrace. Furthest from her was a living area several feet lower than the foyer, adorn with several couches and a long dining room table, well-lit by massive, rusted windows.

All in all, Sakura was very pleased with the apartment, and was especially grateful for having scored such a good deal on it. Normally it would have costed thousands of dollars a month to rent out— mainly because of its location— however, through friends of friends, she was able to get it for only a fraction of the price.

All she knew was that an affluent man by the name of Danzo owned the entire apartment, and had decided to let some relatives use the space since he was never there anyways— likely off doing rich people stuff in his other homes across the world.

Sakura didn't really care for details about the guy— as long as things continued the way they were with her portion of the rent, he could murder someone and she wouldn't give two shits. Well, that's a little extreme. Danzo probably wouldn't murder someone. But he may hire someone to do it for him.

Sakura sighed, letting her hair out of its ponytail and collapsing on one of the couches. _What a long day…_

Absently, she checked her iPhone.

10:12 am

Sakura groaned, leaning her head back and lazily throwing an arm over her forehead. She inhaled the stuffy air through her nose, closing her eyes. It was _way_ too hot. She felt sticky and gross— a feeling she thought she could escape by fleeing indoors. Evidently that would not happen, since she was too unwilling to hire an HVAC repairman and too inexpert to do it herself.

"You smell really bad."

Sakura cracked an eye open, glaring at the newcomer. _Sai._

She hadn't realized he was home. Sai was her roommate— her only one, luckily— that occupied the bed-space above hers, on the same level as the rooftop terrace where she often saw him painting the city skyline. She hadn't talked to him much— whenever he was home he was busy drawing— but she had gathered that he was an aspiring Konoha artist who had been a resident there for quite some time. She also gathered that he was an extremely blunt person, more so than anyone she knew, and his inability to comprehend social ques was somewhat disturbing.

"And you look really bad, too," He added, descending the steps connecting the foyer and living room.

"Yeah, probably not looking my best right now since I just got back from a run," Sakura said through her teeth, watching as he moved to grab a few of his art supplies that had littered the dining room table.

"Couldn't tell."

Sakura scowled, though the boy was routinely ignorant to her exasperation. If it weren't for his quiet, rude behavior, she would have thought he was a relatively attractive human being. For a homebody, he had a decent build; wide shoulders and visible muscles in his biceps, though nothing compared to the man she had run into today. His skin was very pale and his short hair nearly the opposite— very similar to black ink on paper. It was fitting considering his hobby (and profession). Though none of this was what intrigued Sakura the most when she first met him.

Upon introducing himself, Sakura distinctly noticed how suave and soothing his voice was. It was elegantly masculine, daresay 'artsy', despite often lacking emotion. She could let him talk for hours if he only knew _how_ to talk.

"Do you have a girlfriend, Sai?" Sakura roused nonchalantly, knowing well that her banter would not be received the way it should.

"No." He responded, uninterested.

"I can see why," She deadpanned, and Sai just smiled— one of those infuriatingly fake smiles he would give her when he didn't know what else to say— before heading up the spiral staircase.

Sakura rolled her eyes, forcing herself up. It wasn't even 11am; there was so much time left in the day, yet she didn't exactly know how to fill it. She had yet to make any friends that could show her around, aside from Sai if he could even be counted as one— besides, he couldn't help in that aspect; he knew very little about 'what to do' and 'where to go'.

On top of that, her job-hunt thus far had been fruitless, the money saved up in her bank account only dwindling with each week of unemployment.

 _I really need to get my shit together_ , she thought, running a hand through her hair. _And make some friends other than that Pinhead upstairs._

Sakura quickly showered, silently wishing for some miracle as she prepared to go out for the second time that day. Hopefully this time, if she ran into a hot guy, he wouldn't run away like a little bitch, and at least give her his number. But alas, that was wishful thinking. Everyone in this goddamn city always seemed to be in a rush to go somewhere, she'd be surprised if any held a conversation with her for more than a minute.

Exiting her apartment, Sakura turned to head downstairs, stopping short to read a red and white sticker placed above her neighbor's doorknob.

"DOG INSIDE," It read, "In case of fire, please save our dog."

Sakura had noticed the sticker when she first moved in, but didn't think much of it since she had yet to see or hear her neighbors, presuming they were out on vacation. However, as she stood there now at the top of the stairs, Sakura could faintly hear a 'bark' sound from behind their door.

 _Huh. Maybe they were never out on vacation_ , she sulked. _I'm so stupid… I never even knocked._

Making a mental note to do that when she got back, Sakura proceeded down the stairs and out the building, hurriedly ambling toward the center of town and failing to notice two familiarly sweaty, shirtless men approaching from the opposite end of the street.

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 **A/N:** Damn, I really enjoyed writing this! I'll probably update very soon, hopefully within a few days, but if not then by the end of the week for sure!

If you liked it please leave a review! I love hearing back from you guys, it makes me super duper happy :)

Also, the song Sakura is listening to in the beginning is a remix of Maroon 5's song, "This Summer's Gonna Hurt". I was imagining The Him remix, but it really doesn't make a difference if it's the original or remix since the lyrics are the same. HOWEVER, if you like remixes as much as I do, then check out that remix!

See ya soon loves,

Mia


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** : another one

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Into the Wild

by Miasmic

Chapter II: GTL

"Sooo about that hottie you bumped into this morning," The blonde boy chatted, retrieving a rag from the pocket of his gym shorts and using it to wipe the sweat from his brow.

His dark-haired companion spared a reproachful glance, pointedly ignoring the question as they strolled along the sidewalk of west 94th street. Of course this blonde fool, who went by the name Naruto, would remember such an insignificant detail of the morning and try to entertain it hours later— he who was notoriously oblivious to nearly everything that went on around him, _unless_ it was a potential source of blackmail he could later use against his friend. He who, despite a short-tempered Sasuke, wouldn't simply let the subject go.

"Musta been a _fiiine_ piece of ass if she got a flaccid dickhead like you to malfunction the way you did," Naruto chuckled, blue eyes shining with amusement.

"I didn't malfunction," Sasuke snarled, resisting the urge to push his colorfully-worded friend right in front of a passing taxi. He was already irritably thirsty from their workout and simply not in the mood for chit-chat, let alone about a girl.

"My bad for being a major cockblock, by the way," Naruto continued in spite of Sasuke's quiet reluctance, lacing his fingers behind his head and flexing his shoulders, "But your flirting was holding us up, and Kakashi would've killed us if we didn't beat the clock this time. Oh wait, now that I think about, you still didn't."

Instinctually, Sasuke jabbed Naruto's exposed ribcage with his elbow. One of these days, the idiot would be found at the bottom of a river with rocks tied to his ankles. Not by Sasuke's doing, of course—everyone knew that, in plotting the death of his best friend, Sasuke would be more creative than that. But considering how many people Naruto annoyed, he couldn't be the _only_ person with the thought in mind.

"Chill!" The latent victim cried, curling into himself, "It's not your fault you can't get ass _and_ be a baller, like me."

Before he could take another swing, Naruto scurried ahead, turning up the grand steps of building #20 and disappearing through the front door. Sasuke followed leisurely behind, exhaling in defeat.

Every time Naruto opened his mouth, Sasuke subconsciously subtracted one day from his Operation: Kill Naruto calendar. It existed.

Like the rest of the buildings of west 94th street, building #20 was tall and thin, sandwiched between its neighbors like a slice of brownstone-colored bread, spotted with multi-paned windows, iron-wrought window guards, and tiny balconies. In front was a steep staircase which led to an old, wooden door.

As Sasuke ascended the steps he spotted Naruto's figure through the glass panel of the entrance, a single finger pressed relentlessly against the entry intercom inside. A long _buzzzzzzzzzz_ echoed within the tiny waiting area, Sasuke's eye twitching in annoyance upon joining the impatient buffoon.

Naruto did this every time they visited— it was his 'Naruto' way of announcing his arrival to their friends living upstairs— and it was almost as obnoxious as the boy himself. Sasuke was sure it aggravated their friends just as much as it did him, since they typically responded within seconds of hearing the screaming machine.

However, this time, there was a long silence following Naruto's release of the button— they were taking longer than usual to answer the door. Not that Sasuke really minded; he was grateful for the rare moment of peace and quiet. Being constantly surrounded by loudmouthed people, he felt like he seldom got time to think—

 _Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz—_

Oh wait, he forgot: he _never_ got time to think.

"Dude, chill out," Sasuke reprimanded, smacking Naruto's hand away from the device he was nearly molesting, "It's not a fucking video game, you're going to break it."

"Lazy asses," Naruto grumbled, reaching for the button labeled 4B one last time, "I betchu they're all stoned as tits right now and can't even get up."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, pleasantly surprised to hear the access door click open before Naruto could assault the intercom again. The boy wouldn't know patience if it stared him in the face.

The stairwell smelled faintly of women's perfume— not illegal substances, like Naruto had predicted— causing the two visitors to give pause as they reached the landing of apartment 4B. As far as they knew, the fourth floor of this building was completely occupied by men; 4A housed some gangly art freak that they rarely ever saw or bothered, and 4B was where their friends lived. Neither Sasuke nor Naruto thought much of it— maybe the art freak had lady friends (if any) — it was simply different from the usual stuffy or dank odor they had gotten so accustomed to.

"OPEN UP YOU FOOL—" Naruto began, fist poised to knock, though before he could finish his sentence and undoubtedly wake up the entire building, the door to 4B was yanked open, revealing an unamused, sleep-deprived man.

Immediately Naruto leaned in close, sniffing wildly with narrowed eyes.

"What the hell do you want, Naruto?" The man grumbled, recoiling back and shooting the blonde intruder a sleepy glare. Naruto stepped passed him, walking in circles and studying the room intently. He didn't know what Naruto was doing or why, nor did he particularly care— Naruto was Naruto, which meant Naruto did strange things without proper explanation, like what he was doing now— but did he have to do it so goddamn early in the day?

"Did you _just_ wake up?!" Naruto roared, continuing to amble around the apartment doggedly, "Shikamaru, it's almost noon!"

"I know that! Jesus, pipe down," The man, Shikamaru, mumbled, groggily scratching the base of his man-bun, "Our flight got delayed last night so we got home late."

"Late my ass! You were probably toking it up all morning and didn't even bother to invite—"

"How was Suna?" Sasuke interjected, entering the foyer and closing the apartment door behind him— he'd be damned if they got _another_ noise complaint because of Naruto, especially when they didn't even fucking live there.

"Good," Shikamaru sighed, plopping down in a nearby chair and placing an elbow on the adjacent table, "It was hot as hell but nice. Quiet, too."

He shot a pointed look at Naruto. "What've you guys been up to?"

"Same shit, different day," Sasuke answered, leaning against the metal railing separating the foyer and living room.

"Gym, tan, laundry, all day errday. Lifestyle of the elite," Naruto added from the living room, probing a lump of blankets that had engulfed the entirety of one of the sofas. It came to life under Naruto's touch, a brown head of hair revealing itself from the cottony threshold.

"You mean lifestyle of the douchebags," it yawned, stretched limbs poking out from under the sheets in all directions, "Please tell me that is not how you've actually been spending the past three weeks without us."

"Of course not, dog-breath! I don't need to _tan_ , I have a naturally golden complexion," Naruto refuted, tugging one of the newcomer's outstretched limbs and forcing him onto the hardwood floor with a thump, "What the hell are you even doing on the couch, Kiba? Don't you have a bed?"

"Of course I have a bed," Kiba growled, gathering himself from the floor, "I just let Akamaru use it last night."

"Holy shit, you really do treat that dog like a freaking human being," Naruto mused, crossing his arms across his chest and shaking his head in disbelief.

"Akamaru is _family_ , you little punk," Kiba retorted, "Don't hate just because all you get comfort from at night is a stuffed animal."

"You tryna say something about Mr. Snuggles?"

"I'm not tryna, I _am_."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, the usual sparkle in his oceanic irises instantly replaced by a shadow of loathing.

"Oof, shots fired," Shikamaru drawled from the foyer, witnessing the exchange with insouciance. To be fair, not many things could excite Shikamaru— he was often characterized by his apathetic "business as usual" attitude— however, brawls and banters between Naruto and Kiba were too frequent and too harmless to cause concern, even someone as blasé as Shikamaru could see that. The real concern was that they were both idiots.

"Hey, you take that back! Mr. Snuggles is a great nighttime companion! And at least he doesn't smell like piss!"

Sasuke exhaled loudly. He, like Shikamaru, was akin to routinely tuning out the bickering. While he was glad their friends were back from their vacation, he wasn't looking forward to listening to this shit again. Naruto was usually extra about everything, but he was _extra_ extra when Kiba was around.

"So party tonight?" Shikamaru suggested.

"Yeah, why not," Sasuke responded, meeting Shikamaru's gaze blankly. He had secretly been hoping that the gang would be inclined to turn up soon, though didn't count on one tonight since the lot of them were likely jet lagged. It was rare for Sasuke to want to party, simply because he wasn't a very social person and despised the taste of alcohol— in fact, he frequently avoided outings, only tagging along for special occasions or when he was dragged to them by Naruto— though he has these rare "spells" in which he looked forward to stepping out of his tiny, antisocial box. Those were very infrequent, and often preceded by a long period of "dryness".

"Nice," Shikamaru nodded, looking over his shoulder towards the living room, "You hear that, buffoons? We're going out tonight."

"Finally!" Naruto bellowed, releasing his choke hold on Kiba, "We haven't been out in forever! Where to?"

"Dunno. We'll decide that later," Shikamaru drawled, not really interested in having a concrete itinerary.

"Sounds good. Let's pregame at ours," Naruto chimed, dusting himself off and making his way to the foyer, "I'll invite my peeps."

"What peeps?" Sasuke scoffed. Naruto recoiled dramatically, placing a hand over his heart.

"I have _other_ friends, you prick," he spat.

"Yeah? Like who?"

" _You'll see_ ," Naruto said confidently, raising his chin and bee-lining passed Sasuke to the front door, "Tonight."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, pushing himself up from the metal railing and proceeding to follow the blonde, who had already left the premises in a huff.

"Sasuke," Shikamaru said, prompting Sasuke to pause in the doorframe, glancing over his shoulder, "Make sure the idiot doesn't invite that kid Konohamaru, will ya? The last thing I want is some high schooler getting wasted with a ton college kids. I don't care how much of a 'peep' he is."

"I will," Sasuke assured, amused at Shikamaru's train of thought. Was Konohamaru really the first person that came to mind at the idea of Naruto having other friends? Sasuke found that pitifully hilarious. He would have said Naruto was just bluffing, but this was much, much better, and probably true.

"See you guys tonight."

* * *

 _Why the hell are all job applications online now?_ Sakura vented inwardly, glaring at the twenty or so tabs open on her internet browser. She was lounging on a reclining chair atop the terrace of her rented apartment, the sky a beautiful gradient of dark blues fading to light pinks over a view of Memorial Stone Park, a welcomed breeze tickling her face.

It had been an exhausting day— Sakura had been on a fervent job hunt, dropping in multiple cafes, restaurants, hotels, museums, boutiques, any place that was hiring really, in hopes of finding employment. Perhaps she was just old fashioned, but Sakura always thought that the easiest and the best way to get a job was to show up in person— employers liked that, or so she thought. Perhaps times were changing, or perhaps it was just a characteristic of living in the city, but with every visit she was barely given the time of day, and upon inquiring about openings was given the same even-toned response over and over again: _You can find our application online…_

Sakura groaned loudly, letting her head fall back into the red cushion of the patio chair. There were so many tabs, she didn't know where to begin. Which one should she fill out first? Should she apply to all of them or only the ones she's really interested in? But what if the ones she's interested in didn't hire her? She was so desperate at this point, she would take anything.

Lifting her head, Sakura tiredly clicked through the tabs once more, bookmarking her favorites.

"One Leaf Bar and Nightclub," she read aloud, "I've always wanted to learn how to bartend. Oh wait…. There's an opening for a… Hype Girl? What the hell is a Hype Girl? Whatever, I'll do it."

Bookmarked.

"Receptionist at the 5 Prongs Hotel? Why the hell not."

Bookmarked.

"Oooh," Sakura cooed, "Team member at Greenie's Vegan Café. I'd be so down for that."

Bookmarked.

"Lonely Lover's Strip Club. _Hmmm_ ," Sakura pondered, mouse hovering over the bookmarker, "Strippers _do_ make decent money…"

Bookmarked.

"Will of Fire Fitness Center," Sakura paused curiously, twirling a pink lock of hair, "Hiring…. Personal trainers."

 _In my fucking dreams,_ she scoffed, _I am_ not _in that kind of shape (yet), let alone do I have the certification for it_. She continued to scroll down the web page, _Though are they sure they don't need a web developer? 'Cause this is godawful, I mean look at the UI. Such a shitty template too, they can do so much better._

In the midst of her web design criticism, Sakura suddenly remembered why she had opened the site to begin with— for a gym membership, not a job opening.

 _Ohhh, right right,_ she thought, maneuvering to the membership application, albeit with some difficulty given the awful layout _. I'll do that right now so that I feel somewhat accomplished for the day._

A few clicks and one online payment later, Sakura was a proud owner of her very first gym membership. She smiled at the confirmation page— her first real smile of the day— closing her computer and letting it rest in her lap, the warmth of it on her thighs soothing.

 _I may be unemployed, but at least I'll be hot._ She mused, exhaling lazily and letting herself sink into the reclined chair to soak in what little was left of the setting sun, content with ending the night on this semi-productive note. Around her was a comforting lull of city bustle— to be honest, she never thought city bustle could be comforting, but somehow this was— and a revitalizing wave of fresh air— which also surprised her, considering she was close to the heart of the city. Sakura was sure she would love Konoha before moving there, and she was right. The city was gorgeous. Regardless of all the initial stress of moving and job hunting, she knew this was where she belonged.

"… Oy!"

Sakura cracked an eye open, sitting upright. She hadn't realized she'd been dozing off until she heard an unfamiliar, muffled call. The sun had completely set, pink and purple light visible on the horizon, and her apartment rooftop had already been taken by the darkness. Her green irises darted around, neck craning in all directions to pinpoint where the voice had come from. Was it even directed at her?

"Hey, everybody make moves to the roof!"

There it was again.

Now Sakura could hear something— commotion, people talking, chit chatting, growing louder and louder. It was faint, and took all of her focus to identify the direction in which it came, but at that point, it was too late. The lights of her neighbor's terrace suddenly ignited, momentarily blinding her. Since the buildings along the street were sandwiched together so tightly, her neighbor's terrace, adjacent to the left, was separated by only a few feet of flat, empty space where the brick hedges of the roofs met. There was very little privacy between the rooftops, she supposed, though most terraces along the street had barriers of some sorts, such as plants and sculptures, as a means of isolation.

There was nothing between these terraces, though, just empty space.

Sakura waited, unsure of what to do as her eyes adjusted. Not that she had much time to do anything before the glass door of her neighbor's terrace was violently slid open, the sounds of commotion becoming exponentially louder and a blonde boy clumsily stumbling out, cradling bottles of liquor in his arms. He made his way to the makeshift bar on the side of the terrace facing the street— a long, thick piece of wood supported by large barrels.

"Be careful, you idiot!" Someone scolded, a second body emerging from the door, "We're only like two shots in, are you already drunk?"

"Shut up, Sasuke! I carry alcohol like I carry babies, with tenderness and care."

"Remind me to never let you hold my kid in the future."

"HAH," The blonde bellowed sarcastically, "There are a few steps you need to go through before you have kids, I hope you know. First, you need to not have a flaccid dick. Once you get that down, come back and I'll tell you the next step."

The boy named Sasuke kicked the blonde behind the knee, causing him to tumble into the makeshift bar and nearly knock over the bottles of alcohol that he had successfully aligned.

"BRUH, whaddIsay?! Tenderness and care!" He barked, fiercely whirling around to face his friend— were they even friends? Sakura couldn't tell with all of the name-calling. She also couldn't help but feel as though she'd seen them before. It was difficult to tell from where she was sitting.

"Go get the speakers, idiot," Sasuke ordered, nodding the blonde to the open glass door, a beckon of warm light and life.

The latter glared for a moment before disappearing into the apartment. Sasuke walked towards the bar, the clink of glass resounding as the depositing stacks of clear shot glasses next to bottles of liquor. All was quiet save for the clamor from within the apartment, the early stages of a brewing party that was evidently moving outdoors.

 _I should leave before this turns into a shit show_ ,Sakura reminded herself, already feeling a bit awkward for having stayed this long. As quietly as she could, Sakura gripped her laptop and turned to place her feet on the cold rooftop, pausing to shoot a curious glance at this guy— _Sasuke_ — who was in the process of downing three more shots. Only his profile was visible, nevertheless, Sakura swore she'd seen him somewhere before…

 _Tall, dark, handsome… Great build. Super muscular… Hmm, Sasuke… That's a nice name… Where in the world…_

"Eyyy, party on the terrace!"

A flood of people emerged from the terrace door, and as Sasuke turned around to meet them, the light fully illuminating his face, Sakura almost could not contain her panic.

 _He's from the park!_

She instinctively ducked, squatting low to the ground and hugging her laptop to her chest as she stared wide-eyed over the hedge at the unbelievable handsome man she had crashed into earlier.

 _Are you fucking kidding me?!_ Her head screamed, _He's my neighbor? Fuck fuck fuck. I am not prepared for this. What if he recognizes me, sees me squatting over here like some creeper. I'm probably the only pink haired girl he has ever seen, he'll definitely recognize me. He's so hot, I can't risk him thinking that I'm a crazy stalker. I gotta get out of here._

She tip-toed toward her apartment, reaching for the sliding door and feeling her anxiety ease as she felt the cool touch of its metal handle— home free at last— before yanking it open.

"What're you doing out here in the dark?"

Sakura gasped, flinching at the pale skin and squid-ink eyes blocking her entry.

" _Sai,_ " She hissed, "You scared me! I was just coming inside."

"You look frightened. Afraid of the dark?" He inquired blankly, statuesque.

" _No_ ," Sakura assured slowly, quietly, " _You_ scared me. Now can I get through, please?"

"Well if you had the light on," He began, lifting his hand toward a small switch beside the door, "I wouldn't have scared—"

"Sai, don't—!"

And just like that, in one single motion, due to one brief, unwarranted encounter with her clueless roommate, everything was ruined. Sakura felt her stomach fall to her knees, squinting as a dim light from a single scone attached to the exterior of the building cast a warm light over her and Sai's face— his with the usual blank expression, hers with terror.

Sakura didn't dare look over at the party next door. She just wanted to get inside.

"Neighbors having a party again? It's been a while," Sai commented, "I thought they were dead."

"Sai, _move._ "

"One of them is looking at you."

Sakura turned robotically, scanning the ever growing crowd for a familiar face, only to be met with a pair of striking sapphire eyes. They were muddled, enquiring. Buzzed, if anything, and then omniscient. They belonged to the blonde boy. Sakura watched him maneuver his way through the crowd, never quite taking his eyes off her until he managed to grab Sasuke's attention and direct it her way.

He stared at her for one second, two, three, four— bewildered— before finally nodding lightly to his blonde friend, who's face split into a huge grin. The sight strangely put Sakura at ease— he was smiling, that's a good sign, right?

"Hey, pinkie!" Called the blonde, motioning her over. He had shoved his way through the crowd and was leaning over the terraces' divide, still beaming. Sakura obliged, shooting Sai— or rather, the space Sai once occupied, for he had disappeared in the midst of things— a worried look, "I don't know if you remember me, but we kind of met at the park earlier today. Well, more like passed by each other."

Sakura swallowed thickly, regaining her composure, "Yeah, I remember."

"You our new neighbor?"

"Mmhm, I just moved in not too long ago."

"Small world, ain't it? It's good to see some fresh new faces around here. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, by the way, coolest guy around" he winked, "and that flaccid bastard over there is Sasuke. If you want, we'd be more than happy if you joined us for our little soirée. Consider it a welcome to the neighborhood party."

"Oh, that's alright. I appreciate the offer, though," she replied with a polite smile, "Maybe next time."

"Aww, you sure?" He frowned.

 _Not really._

"Umm, yeah, I just have a lot of job applications to fill out and stuff."

" _Laaaaame,_ " he teased, though his frown deepened, "Come on, have some fun with us tonight! I promise you'll have a good time."

"I don't know…" Sakura mumbled, averting her eyes to study a withered, potted shrub in the corner of her terrace. This kid was persistent, and Sakura wasn't in the mood to be peer pressured into a night she had actively been trying to avoid. Especially when she was already unsure…

"Is this dickhead bothering you?".

The voice was deep, threatening, and somewhat aggressive. Sakura immediately looked up, spotting a tall figure approach from behind Naruto.

"Oh hey bastard," Naruto observed, "I was just introducing myself to our new neighbor, ummm…"

"Sakura,"

"Sakura. Remember her?"

"I do," Sasuke replied, halting at Naruto's flank. Sakura didn't miss the way his onyx eyes had ever so subtly scrutinized her from head to toe before meeting her gaze curiously. Sakura's stomach flipped. _Why'd he do that?_

"I'm trying to get her to come out with us," Naruto informed, exhaling in defeat, "She won't listen to me, though. I _highly_ doubt your stick-up-the-ass self can do anything about it, but you can give it a shot if you want. We'll be here if you ever wanna hang, neighbor. Have a swell night!"

With a quick pat on the shoulder and another wink toward Sakura, Naruto had vanished into the crowd, his voice merging with everyone else's until it became indistinguishable background noise. The few feet of space between Sasuke and Sakura, the borderline between peace and chaos, remained still.

Sasuke suppressed an eye roll at his idiot friend's drunken tendencies – Naruto was already overly and unreasonably confident as is, possessing no conversational filter, and when he was intoxicated that was amplified ten-fold. Sasuke was appalled his friend was ever able to get laid—apparently some girls find the forwardness alluring. That wasn't really Sasuke's way of approaching women. Hell, it wasn't his way of approaching anyone. He preferred more subtle, witty banter, so subtle it took a real soul to realize he wasn't just some senseless, inconsiderate prick with no social skills.

"Because of you," Sasuke spoke, "I missed my mile time."

Or maybe that was just Sasuke's excuse for being a senseless, inconsiderate prick with no social skills.

"Umm, excuse me," Sakura retorted, mouth agape, "If I remember correctly, _you_ ran _me_ over."

"You were obstructing the road."

"Obstru—?! Ohh, you have some nerve," She grumbled, shifting her weight to one foot, laptop still gripped tightly against her chest. A wave of heat rose to her face, her eyes burning so vehemently they might've turned red, "I could've been hospitalized, asshole."

"You give me too much credit," Sasuke smirked, voice even and cool. _Too_ _cool_. Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously, studying him with so much intensity she hoped it made him uncomfortable. Alas, he stood unmoved, cocking an amused brow.

"Oh, look at the time," Sakura said after a moment, glancing at her bare wrist and not bothering to hide her disinterest, "I better go."

"Wait," Sasuke interjected, though Sakura had yet to move, "Let me make it up to you. For this morning."

Sakura perked up. _Finally, an apology?_ "And how do you plan to do that?"

"Shots."

Sakura blinked once, twice, thrice.

"You're offering me _alcohol_ as an apology?" Sakura was in sheer disbelief. _Is he fucking serious?_ Part of her wanted to be angry, and part of her wanted to laugh.

"Not just alcohol. Shots. With me."

 _You better mean body shots, you egotistical sack of hot potatoes._

"Wow, _real_ enticing. In case you missed it, Naruto already offered for me to come join the party, and I politely declined. I won't be so nice about it the second time around."

"I didn't ask you to come join the party," He said coolly, "Just offered you to take shots with me."

"What an honor! I'd hate to pass up the opportunity, but… No." She deadpanned.

"What, don't think you can go shot for shot with me?" Sasuke taunted, leaning his exposed forearms on the terrace ledge. _Dear lord,_ Sakura thought, ogling his 'modelesque' pose, like he was straight out of some Topman ad, dark patterned button up rolled to his elbows. _I_ know _I can't go shot for shot with you. You're fucking massive._

"I never said that," Sakura muttered.

"You implied it."

Sakura just stared at him, every ounce of resolve dissipating with each passing second. It was as if his eyes were black holes, sucking her in, to the point of no return. She was losing herself to his charm— or rather, his looks. It was like her body was going into survival mode, and there was a fresh piece of delicious meat right in front of her, screaming 'eat me'. To be fair, how often would she have the opportunity to party with such a God-like human being? Like, never. When an opportunity like this presents itself, how could she not?

 _A few shots couldn't hurt…_

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey hey, long time no talk! Sorry it's been so long, I've been super busy and haven't had the chance to update anything.

To be honest, I had kind of given up on continuing FF writing, simply because of the time commitment, but I got a sudden burst of inspiration to put this chapter out there. I can't make any promises for more content anytime soon, but I do have lots of ideas for this story still, so I truly hope to get some more stuff out!

Let me know what you think!

Also, all of my other stories are currently on pause. I hope, once I get more time, to continue this story and A Million Pieces of Eight. Fingers crossed!

Over and out

-M

p.s. I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes, I'm rusty.


	3. Chapter 3

Into the Wild

By Miasmic

Chapter III: Tequila Sunrise

Sakura shuffled to the patio chair she had previously occupied, turning her back to the allure of the party. She stared down at the MacBook hugged by her pale, thin arms— which appeared even paler in the dim light— allowing the gravity of her decision to fully set in.

 _I cannot believe you just agreed to this. A few shots couldn't hurt? Really?_ She immediately chastised herself, _Yeah, right. One shot turns into two, two into three, three into four, and four into a bloody fucking shit show. Shots are to college kids as candy is to your fat cousin Al— they can't just have one. You've gotta be fucking kidding me right now. It's a Wednesday. A_ Wed-nes-day _. Why the hell did you agree to this? I guess one look at real life McDreamy and all reason goes out the window. Great. Thanks, hormones._

Moving slowly, Sakura released the MacBook from her fingertips onto the seat. It wasn't too late to back out now and save herself— after all, these people _were_ strangers, who knew what could happen. Hell, one of them almost killed her (an exaggeration, but still—). Backing out would be the smart thing to do _._

 _Just tell Sasuke you changed your mind. "Maybe next time". Yeah. He'll understand._

Sakura inhaled deeply, whirling around with feigned assurance and a not-so-thought-out excuse, though as she did her pearly green eyes spotted that handsome face from earlier— she had hoped he would somehow become less attractive the second (or third?) time around; a fanciful plea to the gods for the benefit of her tenacity— still poised with his forearms against the terrace divide, expectantly watching her every movement. Instantly, Sakura's excuse melted in her throat like ice cream on a hot day.

 _Lord Almighty, it's a crime to say no to that face._ She suppressed the urge to lick her lips like some crazed teenager.

"Ready?" Sasuke questioned, now standing upright with his hands buried in his Chinos. Sakura blinked before gazing down at her plain grey pajama shorts, loose navy V-neck, and Rainbow sandals. She wasn't exactly clad in the most party appropriate attire.

"Umm," She hummed, struck with a sudden sense of insecurity. She panned over to the booming party behind Sasuke, eying the make-upped girls in body-con dresses and heels, those in fancy blouses with high-waisted jeans and booties, and the plethora of attractive men in button-down shirts with slick hair.

"C'mon," Sasuke urged, "I don't have all day."

"You don't have all _night,_ " Sakura corrected, burying her concerns and gingerly crawling over the divide toward the festivities. She briefly contemplated—again— whether she should turn back, though before she could there was an iron grip around her wrist, her mysterious dark haired host leading her to the bar and offering her a full shot of tequila.

 _Oh my god, no. Do we really have to start off with…_ this _? I absolutely_ hate _tequila,_ Sakura cried, accepting the tiny glass and sniffing its contents, _This shit gets me fucked up way too fast. I haven't 'partied' in forever so my tolerance is probably like that of a baby monkey. I'm in way over my head right now._

Sasuke watched his new pink-haired drinking buddy with amusement, acutely aware of her grimace and finding the way her tiny nose crunched up to be oddly adorable. Maybe it was the 8 or so ounces of liquor beginning to cloud his intellect, but he had to admit; Sakura was likely the cutest girl he had ever met, bar none. He didn't know what exactly made him feel that way— he had met many drop-dead gorgeous women in his life, though none ever prompted him to go out of his element. Sure, he had planned on stepping out of his box a bit that night, though not enough to blatantly invite a girl over— and in the most pathetic way to say the least. Perhaps it was a combination of that, the liquor, and that fact that he found Sakura so fascinating, that got him in this situation to begin with.

"Don't chicken out on me," He said, raising his shot towards her. A sliver of decency deep within him caused him to question— very briefly— whether it was right for him to be pressuring this stranger into consuming alcohol. Objectively he knew it wasn't right, however, Sasuke didn't feel so guilty when it came to Sakura— she seemed like the kind of girl who wouldn't do something if she didn't really want to. Then again, they weren't quite friends yet, so he could be completely off in his prediction. Of course, his ego was what gave him comfort in that respect— when was Sasuke ever wrong?

"Right back atcha," Sakura retorted fiercely, meeting his gesture. With a ceremonious clink, the two threw their heads back, a single shot of tequila marking the beginning of what was to be a long, long night. Sakura suppressed a gag as the poisonous liquid burned her throat and slipped leisurely into the pit of her stomach.

"You good?" Sasuke gauged, onyx eyes surveying her with something akin to worry. It was so easy to read her when her face was so goddamn expressive. Another reason he found her to be so, so amusing.

"Never better," Sakura croaked, wiping her lips on the back of her hand.

 _Lies._ She shivered, _That was awful._

Despite 'claiming' that she would go shot for shot with Sasuke— the fault of her impulsive competitive nature, and a bluff that neither of them actually believed— Sakura was thankful that Sasuke didn't offer her another drink, and instead lead her over to a tiny sitting area not unlike her own. This one was more spacious with nearly unused, matching furniture. His terrace was Eden-like in comparison— there was an ample amount of light emitted by tiny lanterns strung overhead, enough flora in the corners to complement the brownstone and red of the seat cushions, and not to mention the hipster-looking bar. The ambiance was authentic, daresay homey, even with the blaring mix of EDM and pop music playing from the portable speaker in the corner. All in all, it was not as try-hard as she initially thought.

The pair sat, Sakura on one seat and Sasuke on the adjacent.

"So," Sakura chatted, "what do you do?"

Sasuke looked confused, or rather, that was how Sakura thought he looked. In truth, it was difficult to read the intensely blank stare he gave her, the only real indication of expression being the subtle movement of his lower eyelids.

"Do you work, or….?" She tried to clarify, trailing off though desperately trying to avoid awkwardness.

"I'm a student," he responded, and Sakura's face lit up like a kid in a candy shop.

"No way," She beamed, "me too! Where do you study?"

"Konoha University," Sasuke answered, watching the way Sakura's glee grew ten-fold. His glossy eyes— the only indication that he had any alcohol in his system whatsoever— looked over her in silent amusement, "Senior undergrad in Economics."

"I'm going to be studying at KU this fall, too! I'll be a senior transfer," Sakura gushed even further, her cheeks glowing at the news of other students. Being located in the heart of one of the most populous cities in the region, Sakura assumed she would never get to meet anyone before the semester began. The thought had bummed her out, since a good part of her first— and last— year at KU would mean trying to make new friends.

"Yeah?" Sasuke inquired, "That's unheard of. Studying?"

"Biology," She responded, a small grin in place, "Sadly, they don't accept senior transfers into the pre-med program."

"I see. You want to be a doctor," Sasuke stated.

"Yup!"

Sasuke nodded, his glossy eyes looking her over once again. _Does he think I can't see this, or is he just drunk_ , Sakura mused. She felt as if she should feel uncomfortable under his stare, but in all honesty, she was flattered. He moved to rest his elbows on his knees.

"Seems like you skipped a few core classes, like middle school Health," He noted, pointing at her unattended cuts from earlier that day, blood dried and scabbing.

"These were _your_ fault" Sakura accused hotly, "I just didn't get a chance to patch them up yet."

"Some doctor. I don't think I'd trust you to fix me up if you can't even fix yourself," Sasuke teased. Green eyes narrowed in on him like a white spotlight in a dark theatre— a really hot spotlight that wished to melt the smirk right off his face and have the stagehands mop it up afterward. How dare he insult her aspirations.

"I wouldn't fix you if your life depended on it," Sakura spat, turning her head away defiantly— away from that infuriatingly pervasive smugness. It drove her crazy, she'd be damned if she had to put up with it all night. Absently, Sakura wondered what time it was, and cursed herself when she realized that she had left her phone to charge in her apartment.

 _I have a feeling I'm going to be here way longer than I anticipated…_

* * *

"Look at 'em," Naruto gushed from afar, " _So cute_. We need to sabotage them."

"I don't understand your obsession with torturing Sasuke," Shikamaru criticized, sipping from his red solo cup, "It's weird and unhealthy."

"Hey," The blonde defended, "I want the best for Sasuke— he knows that."

"Does he? I'm surprised the man hasn't strangled you yet," Kiba added, shaking his head, "Just for being you."

"I like having a little fun, that's all," Naruto continued, eying the pink and raven haired couple, who had made their way to the bar once again, "Okay, so here's the plan—"

" _There's no plan_ , Naruto," Shikamaru interjected sternly, "Let them be."

" _C'mon_ ," The blonde whined, "Don't be a buzz kill, Shikamaru."

"Who even is that girl?" A newcomer, a fairly stout one by the name of Chouji, inquired, "Sasuke's new chick?"

"We ran into her earlier today, literally. And by we, I mean Sasuke," Naruto explained, breaking away from his stalking to address the group, "Sasuke always has a stick up his ass when it comes to women, but I think for once he actually kinda likes this girl."

"All the more reason _not_ to intervene," Shikamaru stated. Why Naruto always had to be an idiot, he didn't know. They had been friends for long enough for him to know that yes, Naruto was habitually senseless, however, Shikamaru knew the blonde was nowhere near as idiotic as he made himself out to be. He just had a daft sense of humor that seemed to trump his sense of affability, and an innate aversion to peace.

"All the more reason _to_ intervene!" Naruto hissed, and Shikamaru sighed, "Where is your sense of camaraderie?"

"Do you even know the meaning of camaraderie," Shikamaru deadpanned, though the blonde continued, ignoring his jab, per usual.

"She also happens to live _right_ across from you guys," Naruto informed, wiggling his eyebrows.

"No way!" Kiba bubbled, excited at the idea of having a new neighbor. After a moment, however, his enthusiasm evaporated into confusion, "Wait… with that art-freak? In 4A?"

"Poor soul," Chouji sympathized.

"I dunno, maybe he moved out or something. But at least she's cooler than he is," Naruto said.

"Better be. I don't want to deal with another one of those crazy chicks you and Kiba always get involved with," Shikamaru yawned, scratching his face. His nonchalant, bored tone made the statement appear like less of an insult and more as a fact. At the moment, Shikamaru was bored out of his mind and absolutely done with this topic of conversation. To be honest, he could care less about this girl and didn't quite see all the hype.

"She's gotta be cool if she grabbed Uchiha's attention," Chouji added, and while that may have been true, it didn't convince Shikamaru to be any more or less enthused.

"Hey!" Naruto howled, the full sting of Shikamaru's 'statement' finally setting in, "Are you saying I have bad taste in women?!"

"Yeah! What're you tryna say, Shikamaru?!" Kiba joined, crossing his arms indignantly.

"Nothing," Shikamaru exhaled, the combination of babysitting Naruto and jet-lag leaving him feeling utterly exhausted, "So she's our new neighbor. Cool. Are we going to introduce ourselves? If not, I'm going home."

In less than ten minutes, Shikamaru regretted ever suggesting that they throw a party that night. At some point, the idea had been appealing, like the idea of eating food when you're really hungry, but now he just wanted to go home and smoke.

* * *

"Ughh," Sakura coughed, the aftermath of having downed two shots in a row, "You guys are savages."

"What?" Sasuke questioned, leaning an elbow on the bar's wooden surface, turning to face Sakura. She looked up at him, ignoring how unsanitary it was for him to put his elbow there and instead noticing his closer-than-normal proximity. His eyes were glossier, cheeks pinker, yet still, his expression betrayed his body-language— remaining stern, "sober-like", and almost inquisitively focused on her.

"You. This," Sakura gestured to the shot glasses, slurring her words, "We are drinkin' straight Jose Cuervo. Where the limes at? And salt? Savage, I tell you— freshman year, puking in your dorm room, savage. As of-legal-drinking-age adults, we are above this."

 _Oh boy,_ Sakura thought, recalling the words that just left her mouth. She felt her body loosen and her conversational-filter diminish, _I'm really starting to feel it now. RIP social skills._

"You're right," Sasuke smirked, "We should move on to something else. I can splurge our liquor cabinet inside and see what we can get."

"Wow, so generous. I thought I was just your shot-for-shot buddy," Sakura piped, innocently batting her lashes.

"You were, but," He said leaning toward her, his voice softening almost to a purr. He paused to let his eyes scan Sakura's face and neck for probably the tenth time that evening— it would have been twenty had he not practiced some sort of self-restraint— "I'll extend my invitation."

Sasuke himself was shocked at how blatantly he had flirted with the girl. Even while intoxicated he often kept his conversations controlled, closed-off but not offputtingly so, coy but not too coy. Granted, enough alcohol drastically lowers inhibitions in almost anyone. Still, the burning sexual desire within Sasuke's chest was overwhelming, even for him.

He locked eyes with Sakura, subconsciously biting the inside of his lip. It was a drunk habit he resorted to in times of serious restraint, "I used to bartend a bit, I'll make you a cocktail. What's your favorite?" He exhaled through his nose heavily, the air tickling Sakura's cheeks. She blushed, peering up at him through long lashes and taking note of the way he nibbled the corner of his mouth. It was turning her on and Sasuke wasn't even trying.

"Sex on the Beach?" Sasuke breathed.

Sakura scowled, somewhat rattled at the sudden change of mood.

 _Oh, my God._ She inwardly eye rolled. _Seriously, Sasuke? Men and their lame pick-up lines and desperate sweet talking. Where'd you learn that one from, a 90's sitcom? Great delivery, buy shitty content. If you weren't so goddamn good-looking I would teach you how to properly wingman yourself… Fuck, he's staring at me. Don't let him fluster you, Sakura. Damn it, what should I do?_ _Flirt back?_

Before Sakura could calm herself enough to deliberate a conclusion, she found herself staring her dark-haired companion dead in the eye, blurting the first words that came to mind, "Nice try, not my favorite though. Sex on the Beach isn't all that bad, but," she paused, assessing Sasuke with a grimace, "my expectations aren't very high so I would rather pass on that one."

Sasuke's onyx eyes froze and his lungs stopped working mid-breath.

Wait a second.

Did she just hint that… Sasuke was bad at…?

Sasuke's lower eyelid twitched. _She definitely just said that_ , he mused, his lips slightly agape at her discreet affront. Objectively, sex on the beach kinda sucks— it's cold and sand gets into uncomfortable bodily crevices— but Sasuke was sure _as hell_ that his sex on the beach trumped that of any average guy. No. Fucking. Doubt.

He could also make a mean drink, but that's irrelevant.

Sasuke let the insult sink but had nothing to say. He was caught off guard— a truly rare occurrence, it was a shame Sakura had no clue.

"Daiquiris are more up my alley," the pink-aired guest continued, oblivious to the stunned and now slightly insecure Sasuke, "What about yours? No, wait, lemme guess: Pussy Café?"

Sasuke blinked. As someone who had taken French in high school and was fairly knowledgeable in mixology, he was one hundred percent sure she had said that wrong. _Pousse_ Café, not… Pussy Café. Like with her previous slander, she was so subtle he almost thought he missed it. Sasuke couldn't tell if it was intentional on her part or not, though felt inclined to believe the former.

"Pussy Café," He repeated slowly, cautiously watching her expression, "Never heard of that one before."

"Really?" Sakura responded, not seeming very surprised, "You strike me as the kind of guy who'd know a lot about it."

"Really?" He mocked.

"Really. You know, at first glance you kind of seem like the broody musician-type who has a closet-obsession with cats and likes to visit coffee shops a lot. You see? Cats and coffee? Pussy, café? Put two and two together and you get Pussy Café! Well, I guess it's technically Pousse Café, but I figured you would identify more with the former expression."

Sakura didn't know what to make of Sasuke's reaction, especially when he realized that she could, in fact, pronounce Pousse Café correctly and knew it didn't involve cats – confusion, offense, anger? Whatever it was, he didn't look pleased. The flirty, witty air had begun to dissipate, and with it came Sasuke's dangerously narrowing eyes.

Given his previous experience in the dating scene, Sasuke was reasonably peeved— he just wasn't used to being insulted by a presumed-bachelorette that he had so ardently flirted with. Sasuke rarely ever had to _try_ to win over a girl, that is, on the rare occasions that Sasuke did flirt. A simple word or two sent most girls swooning. It was the shock of Sakura not being like other girls that made him so disconcertingly irritated.

Sasuke closed his eyes and sighed.

"I told you I used to bartend, so yes, I do know a lot about Pussy—" He replied calmly yet visibly annoyed, "I mean, _Pousse_ — Café. It's another common drink. But contrary to what you believe, I _don't_ like cats, and I only _tolerate_ coffee shops."

It was silent for a moment. Sakura suppressed a grin as she held his intense gaze. He seemed uncomfortable, daresay vulnerable— he had shared something about himself and that made her happy, even if it was something as insignificant as not liking cats.

 _Noted,_ Sakura thought, grin widening, _Time for me to get a cat._

"And it's not my favorite," He said after a minute, his face finally easing back to its typical haughtiness, "Whiskey sour is."

"Damn, I was so close!" Sakura teased, "Whiskey sour is kinda ballsy, not gonna lie I'm impressed. It's definitely an acquired taste I do not have yet," she grimaced at the thought, "My next guess would've been Tequila Sunrise. Only because it seems like you really enjoy tequila."

Sakura would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy this little Game of Insults she had going on with Sasuke. It was refreshing to be able to talk like this with a guy, to be witty and then to be out-wit. Of course, not everything they said to each other was grounds for offense, and in fact, the alternation between seduction, wit, and honesty was part of the reason she found it so invigorating.

She wondered if he felt the same way…

"By the way, my Sex on the Beach is better than you think," Sasuke added quietly, turning his head to avoid eye contact, " _Just so you know_."

"Don't sulk, I was only joking before," Sakura laughed. She loved how he kept referring to the drink as 'his' Sex on the Beach, undoubtedly emphasizing the innuendo. It was hilarious how easily bruised his ego could be, "Well, _half_ -joking. You sound confident though so I guess it couldn't be that bad. My expectations were already low, remember? That gives you an advantage."

"I don't need an advantage."

"Ok then, Sir Brag A Lot. Don't disappoint."

"I won't," He smirked, the metal onyx of his eyes softening.

"If you do, I get to make your next drink," Sakura wagered, simpering, "One solo cup of whatever concoction I want."

"If I don't, you have to drink Whiskey sours for the rest of the night."

"Ugh," Sakura blurted, sticking out her tongue in disgust. Her nose crunched cutely, green eyes blinking in deep thought. _Whiskey sours are so gross! Do you really wanna put yourself through that? You know his Sex on the Beach is probably bomb as hell. But then again, just look at that smug face. You can't let him win._

Sasuke looked at her expectantly. Over the course of their conversation – the flirting, the arguing, and all— he had shifted to and fro, retracting himself a bit. However, he was now back to where he had settled at the beginning of their bickering, a foot away and inching in dangerously close.

"Fine," Sakura surrendered, "Shake on it?"

Sasuke offered his hand and Sakura reached for it, the tips of her fingers grazing his palm and the pad of her thumb brushing the top of his hand before circling around —

"LOOK WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE!"

Sakura jumped, pulling her arm back instinctively. She turned to spot Naruto, disheveled blonde tresses and drunken, cheeky grin, approaching the bar from the crowd with arms open in feigned disbelief. Three foreign faces trailed behind him.

"I see you decided to come to the dark side. What made you change your mind? Was it something the bastard said?" Naruto spoke, before attempting a whisper, "Not that I'm complaining but sometimes he says evil things when he's drunk. I'd be careful with him, you might become possessed, or even worse, infatuated. Not to mention he just looks evil and has tiny hands. Didn't your parents ever tell you not to trust people with tiny hands?"

Sasuke wanted to face palm himself. No, he wanted to face palm Naruto. Scratch that, he wanted to punch Naruto. Right in the mouth.

"Well, I wasn't able to go to my AA meeting this week, so I gave into temptation pretty quick," Sakura chuckled, saving Naruto from a trip to the dentist.

"I don't know what that means, but glad you made it here anyway!" The blonde bellowed, a drunken happiness in his blushed face that was both endearing and contagious, "Sorry to interrupt,"— Sasuke knew that was a lie— "but I have some friend's that I'd like to introduce you to."

Naruto stepped to the side, motioning to the three unfamiliar faces that had followed him, "These dudes live right across from you!"

"Hi. I'm Kiba," A boy with choppy brown hair said with a wink, "Nice to meet ya."

"I'm Chouji," said the shortest of the three, a stout man with a thick build and a cheeky grin.

"Shikamaru," said the last— a straight-faced looking one with black hair pulled into a bun, "Welcome to the neighborhood."

For what felt like the umpteenth time, Sakura's face lit up in glee. The thought of having more friends in such a vast city, and to have them in close proximity, was a dream come true. Perhaps amplified by the liquor in her system, she was excited beyond belief.

Quickly, she attempted to commit each name and face to memory. She was never really good with names and doing so while intoxicated made it all the more difficult.

"Wait, you guys live in 4B?" Sakura smiled, "I had been meaning to go introduce myself but never got the chance. I didn't think anyone was home."

"Don't worry about it," Kiba responded, "We were out of town until today, anyway."

 _Kiba— Mmm, he's kinda cute. Very confident, but not as bad as Sasuke. Has a hairstyle like Naruto's, and whoa look at those canines. Not sure if that turns me on or not. Oh. He just winked again. Hello, wolf-boy._

"We'll it's nice to finally meet you all. I'm Sakura," She waved, giving a small smile to each one before panning over to look for Naruto and Sasuke, the latter of which appeared frozen in the same position, simply watching the exchange, "How do you guys know each other?"

"We went to Konoha Academy together," Chouji answered. Sakura recognized the name as one of the most selective private schools in the area and a haven for rich kids of the city.

 _Chouji— He seems very friendly and has an immaculate smile. Also, he's the shortest one, and short guys are always the nicest. Really light auburn hair, longer than Kiba's and slicked back. Baby faced, could do with some facial hair. The era of beards hasn't left us yet!_

"We pretty much wouldn't be friends if we didn't join the football team, though," Naruto added, and then again attempted at a whisper toward Sakura, "You know, forced team bonding and all. I don't actually like any of them. Fuckin' benchwarmers."

"Says the freshman year water boy," Kiba taunted.

"Okay, so you were a _hydrated_ benchwarmer, big whoop," Naruto spat, "Water is essential for optimal performance, I was basically the reason we won that season."

"Bitch, please," Kiba clucked, "You're not that special."

"Water boy, to Division I, real quick. Bow down to blonde Drake, peasant," Naruto boasted, brushing Kiba aside and basking in his own glory. Sakura suppressed a laugh at the exchange, while everyone else appeared significantly less amused.

"Impressive," Sakura said, fueling Naruto's ego, much to the other males chagrin, "You play Division I for KU?"

"Yes, ma'am," Naruto beamed, thumbing toward Sasuke, "Only the bastard and I continued into college."

 _Hmm, Sasuke hadn't mentioned this yet…_

"Which football exactly? American or European?" She asked.

"Football, you know, the one where you run," Naruto elucidated— though didn't quite clarify anything at all, leaving a bewildered Sakura.

" _American_ football," Sasuke corrected, muttering, "You run in both, idiot."

"Isn't there only one kind of _football_ , though?" Naruto inquired as he scanned the group with drunken, lost eyes, looking for some sort of affirmation.

"No," Kiba grumbled, face palming, "This is why people think Americans are dumb."

"What's the difference?"

"They're two different sports. _You_ play American football, _I_ play the other football," Kiba explained.

"Ultimate Frisbee is the other football?!" Naruto exclaimed, melodramatically feigning shock.

Kiba turned red.

"For the last time, I don't play Ultimate Frisbee!" He snarled, grabbing Naruto by the collar, "And stop telling girls that I do, or I'll make sure you won't be able to run for either sport."

Naruto chuckled evilly, and Sakura couldn't tell if he was actually dumb, or just playing dumb to fuck with his friends. Either way, it was pretty entertaining.

"Fine, fine," Naruto gave in, and Kiba released his grip, "So soccer is the other football. I got it. Next, you're going to tell me soccer is the other Ultimate Frisbee."

Kiba's face ignited again, and for a moment it looked as if he was going to strangle Naruto.

"There's nothing wrong with playing Ultimate Frisbee," Sakura offered, struggling to stem her giggle. The statement didn't seem to placate Kiba, in fact, it only appeared to make things worse, so she added, "Though soccer is pretty cool, too."

That seemed to help a bit.

"So you're all KU athletes I'm assuming?" She continued, moving forward with the conversation in hopes of preventing them from stepping on each other's toes any further.

"Hah," The boy named Chouji chimed, "Far from it."

"Yeah," Shikamaru drawled, alternating his thumb to gesture between himself and his chubby companion, "We're not."

 _Shikamaru— … I can't tell if he's ridiculously arrogant, or just bored. Confusing... He's been quiet this whole time. Too cool for school, maybe? Resting asshole face? I dunno. He has a very monotone voice, kinda makes me sleepy. Like c'mon bro you're at a party, have fun! He's probably upset because the man-bun phase is over and he hasn't moved on yet. I feel you dude, I get attached to my hair too._

"Cool. I'm not really much of one either," Sakura admitted.

"But hey, we caught you on that run earlier today," Naruto jumped in, teasing, "You closet-athlete."

"Nahh," She confided, "I'm just trying to hop on that fitness craze this summer. I just started so I'm pretty bad."

"Well, if you ever want a workout buddy, Sas-cunt and I work out daily," Naruto said, extending his thumb and pinky in a "call-me" gesture, adding a wink for good measure, "We can, or _I can_ , show you the ropes, jafeel?"

"Go crawl back into your man-cave, douche-Magee," Kiba groaned, rolling his eyes. He turned to Sakura, "And if you ever get tired of hearing shit like that, just come over to 4B, where the normal people are."

"Yeah," Choji added, "We won't make you feel bad about not meeting your macros for the day."

"Thanks," Sakura chuckled. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she felt herself becoming peculiarly attached to this group of miscreants— the way they interacted with each other was endearing, even the bickering had its own level of hilarity that she couldn't get enough of. Although she hadn't quite befriended them yet, she was suddenly looking forward to whatever adventures (or misadventures) lay ahead for them this summer.

* * *

Shots, cocktails, socialize, flirt with Sasuke, laugh at Kiba and Naruto, shots, chaser, socialize, slap the bag, search for food, flirt with Sasuke, insult Sasuke, socialize, laugh at Kiba and Naruto, placate Kiba, placate Naruto, propose to drink more, proceed to drink more, sit down.

Such was the rough order of events of Sakura's blurry night, the chronology of which was becoming increasingly difficult to remember. Each passing hour resulted in lowered inhibitions, and that only seemed to make room for more alcohol to be consumed — that was where the vicious cycle began and ended. Sakura vaguely remembered meeting various different people. Naruto and her neighbors from 4B were in and out of the conversation, here and there. Two of them went home some time ago— what were their names again?— while Naruto and Kiba the wolf-boy seemed to hop from one circle to the next, while Sasuke and Sakura never quite left each other's presence. Soon enough everyone was leaving to go to some bar or club.

"Ayyye," Naruto sang as he wobbled over to Sasuke and Sakura, who had taken refuge from the crowd on the patio chairs, "you guys down to head out?"

Sakura, wishing she had counted the number of alcoholic beverages she had consumed, strained to gauge her level of drunkenness.

 _Fuuuuck,_ Her mind whirled, _I'm usually not this bad at holding my liquor. I usually know when to stop. Wait, I did stop. Yeah, I remember, I did. But I'm still so fucking drunk it's embarrassing… Surprised I haven't blacked out yet…_

"Umm," Sakura slurred, "'m good, actu'lly."

"Same," Sasuke said, though not nearly as slurred, it was quite clear he intoxicated.

"Aiight, suit yourselves," Naruto hummed, shooting Sasuke an impeccably blatant eyebrow wiggle, causing Sakura's cheeks to burn, before disappearing with the crowd. In minutes the two were completely alone, surrounded only by the late night calls of the city and a refreshing summer breeze. Sakura leaned against the back of her chair and gazed dreamily at the sky.

"Ya know," She droned, "The one thing I don' like 'bout the city is that you can never see the stars."

Sasuke was silent for a moment.

"I've never seen the stars," He divulged, and Sakura's head whipped down, her mouth agape.

"Never?!" She gasped. Sasuke shook his head.

"Born and raised as a city kid," He uttered, sounding almost… bitter, "The family was never that into nature or anything."

"Not even on like, a vacation or somethin'?"

He shook his head again.

Sakura was baffled— how could anyone live without seeing the stars? It was a sad existence indeed, though an existence that he somehow endured.

"'m sorry," She offered, a soft smile in place, "That sucks. You'll see 'em one day, and when you do your mind will be blown. Seriously, 's totally worth it."

The two sat in silence for a few more minutes, studying the sky. Suddenly, Sakura stood, steadying herself before moving toward the terrace divide, with Sasuke quickly following.

"I should get going. 's getting late," She announced, swinging a leg over the edge of the roof, "Or… at least I think 's getting late?"

"Woah, what the hell are you doing?" Sasuke blurted, latching onto Sakura's upper arm. The electric-like contact prompted Sakura to slowly meet his gaze, green hazy eyes meeting his glossy onyx ones. She stared at him curiously, biting the corner of her lip.

"Goin' home?" She murmured.

"Over the ledge?" Sasuke gave a haughty chuckle, "Not while drunk you won't. I'll walk you home."

"What? No, 's fine," Sakura protested, feeling herself grow irritated at his unrivaled self-assurance, "'s literally a slab of flat cement, what could possibly happen?"

" _I'll walk you home_ ," He repeated sternly, leading her away from the ledge and towards the terrace entrance. Sakura would've put up resistance had she greater control of her limbs— though, on the plus side, the resentment that bubbled within her from his forcefulness was a good agent in sobering her up, instead allowing her to gradually regain some control over her words.

" _Sasukeee,_ " She whined, trailing behind him, "What the fuck, man? I can take care of myself. I've been way drunker than this and have done way more dangerous shit than _climbing over a flat surface_."

"Stop talking," He ordered. Now _he_ was the one getting annoyed.

"Ya know, you should come with a warning label," She continued, in spite. Sasuke raised a brow, though remained silent, leading her down the helix staircase inside. If Sakura had been in a clearer state of mind, she might have been able to appreciate its pristine interior and marvel at how lavish he was living. Alas, she was consumed not only by alcohol but also by exasperation.

"Warning: Do not go shot for shot with. Comes with huge ego, will get you drunk and then boss you around. Too haughty for his own good,"

"Too hot for his own good?" Sasuke smirked.

"' _Haughty'_ ," She groused, "I said 'haughty'."

Sasuke led her through the kitchen and halted at the refrigerator, momentarily leaving Sakura's side to retrieve two glasses of water. As he handed her a cup Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle at her expression— face, sunken in defeat, she looked like a child on the verge of a temper tantrum. She quietly sipped her water, glaring daggers at her capturer.

"By the way," Sasuke uttered between sips, "You did not go shot for shot with me."

Sakura's glare widened dangerously, the green in it so glistening sharply and the sudden buildup of rage so hot that he thought she might be turning into the Incredible Hulk.

"Excuse me, Señor Fuck Face, but are you questioning my ability to carry alcohol?"

"Those cocktails weren't as strong as you think they were," He enlightened, smirking into his cup, "Lightweight."

It was true; Sasuke had intentionally given her less alcohol in nearly eighty percent of her drinks— shots, cocktails, wine, you name it. He had even made a few of her drinks virgin, to which she would follow up with a compliment about his mixology skills, saying things like, 'you can't even taste the alcohol!', and 'you've gotta teach me how to make this'. Sasuke's grin widened at the memory.

"You little punk, messing with my drinks," She frowned, "I knew you couldn't be trusted."

He hadn't done so out of spite. After witnessing her first two shots, he had made the decision to cut her some slack— or a lot of slack. After all, he didn't want her to end up in the ER, and too much alcohol wasn't fun, anyways.

"Well, if you remember correctly, I never explicitly said that I would go shot or shot with you," Sakura countered, finishing her water and placing the glass on the counter.

"You implied it, many times."

"Go ahead, rub more salt into the wound," She pressed, rolling her eyes.

"As if you don't have enough salt already," He sneered, the corner of his lip twitching up at her, again, priceless reaction.

Sakura crossed her arms in a huff, shaking her head. _Who is this little fucker, and why does he think he can rile me up like this, without any consequences? Oh, you better watch your back, Sasuke, I'll get you when I'm sober._

Ire aside, Sakura was genuinely surprised at how fluid their conversation had become. It seemed the two were sobering up quite quickly— still drunk— though a 'happy-medium' drunk, as Sakura termed it, where you still have the missing inhibitions but aren't a complete hot mess. Their slurs were faint, virtually undetectable.

"I'm getting tired," Sakura yawned, "Can we go?"

"Yeah," Sasuke acknowledged, "One sec."

Without another word, he disappeared down a long hallway. A white light flickered on, flooding the corridor momentarily before being turned off. Sasuke emerged from the darkness with a tiny box in hand— a pack of Band-Aids.

"Sit up here," He motioned to the kitchen counter.

Sakura froze, eyes confusedly shooting between the Band-Aids in hand, to Sasuke's face, and then slowly down to her injured knees. When Sakura realized what the Band-Aids were for, she was at a loss of words; hell, she was at a loss of thoughts. Was he trying to... apologize for earlier that day? Or create an intimate moment? A kiss and makeup, with an emphasis on the kiss? She couldn't comprehend his motivations, nor decipher his expression or body-language. He seemed hesitant, but Sakura couldn't be sure. Sasuke was an enigma to her. One second she thought he wanted to be just friends, and another it seemed he wanted to be something more. Which was it?

Or perhaps he was just entirely interested in sex. Sakura wasn't the type to sleep around with just anyone, and the notion that he could be toying with her emotions simply to get her in bed was hurtful— and he wouldn't be the first boy to deceive her this way. Is that why he had been stalling her from going home? In her college career, there are been several to deceive her similarly— which was why she steered clear of intimate relations with college buffoons. They typically didn't seek meaningful connections, and when she did, it only left her heartbroken.

This was different than the harmless flirting, the banter, the slinging wit. Sakura had seen enough romcoms to know that, regardless of how insignificant putting a Band-Aid on someone may seem, that, unless you are a medical practitioner or a friend, it is usually an incredibly intimate gesture. It was sweet of Sasuke, definitely. But why?

While her mind was circling around the possibilities of Sasuke's intentions, Sakura's heart was pounding so fast she felt it may jump out of her chest.

"I can't walk straight, and you except me to hop up there?" She joked, hoping to mask her panic. As if sensing her distress and spiting her, Sasuke's fingers encircled her waist and in one swift, effortless motion he lifted her into place. The warmth of his hands around her torso— a feeling which she undeniably enjoyed— disappeared to work on the abrasions on her knees, most of which had begun to scab over.

Though, as Sasuke began to place a Band-Aid on one wound, he was stopped by hands much smaller than his.

"We should clean it first," Sakura whispered, though she already knew neither of them had the intention to do so, "So it doesn't get infected..."

Sasuke peered at her from beneath his ebony bangs, and for the first time, Sakura truly got to appreciate his beauty; the cheek bones, the jaw, the striking brows, smooth pale skin, and of course the lava-like eyes. Her stomach erupted into a storm of butterflies at the way his gaze shifted slowly from her lips to her dilated pupils. He was truly a work of God's art, and it made being in Sakura's position all the more difficult.

While Sakura's eyes were occupied wandering his face, Sasuke had relocated his body in between her legs, placing his hands on either side of her. He moved gently, cautious to keep minimum contact with her, if any at all. The only skin to skin contact came as he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers. Sakura felt his hot breath on her face, a delicious mix of lime and mint, their lips inches apart— but he stopped there.

He was waiting.

Why was he waiting?

 _He's waiting for you to do something_.

Sakura froze. Was this really happening? Was she about to kiss this guy, this stranger, who she had known for less than a day? Sure, she was attracted to him, and he to her, but could she really do it?

No. She couldn't. As much as she wanted to close the distance, whether, for lack of self-confidence or lack of confidence in him, she could not bring herself any further. Not when she had been deceived so many times before, and by guys that were half of what Sasuke was— Sakura reasoned it'd only hurt twice as much.

A few moments had passed before Sasuke pulled back, his usually smirking face looking uncharacteristically tired, disappointed even. _Shit_ , Sakura frowned, the sight making her regret her hesitancy. Despite not being what he had hope, he had honored her decision— she appreciated that, but still, Sakura had to remind herself that the decision was nothing to feel guilty about. _He respected your boundaries. Just because he did that and most guys don't doesn't mean you owe him anything._

"We should go," Sasuke muttered, and with a nod, the two ambled out the door. True to his word, Sasuke walked her back to her apartment, leaning against the frame as she wrested the door open. Presumably, Sai had left it open for her, and Sakura thanked the Art gods and prayed they bless him on his next project because her situation would've become unbearably awkward otherwise.

"Don't be a stranger," Sasuke offered, although rather aloofly.

"Yeah yeah," Sakura quipped, "See ya around, asshole."

Sasuke began making his way to the staircase, raising his hand beside him— it reminded Sakura of their encounter earlier that day, except this time he wasn't flipping her off.

"Hey," She called after him, smiling shyly. The broody man glanced over his shoulder curiously, "I just realized, of all the cocktails we drank not one was a Sex on the Beach. We forgot about our bet."

"We never shook on it," Sasuke admitted, recalling their interruption.

"Oh," Sakura trailed off, glancing at the hardwood floor. Sasuke stood patiently, expectantly, focusing on the way she pressed her lips to the corner of her mouth uneasily, "Right. Well then, let's shake on it now before we forget again. For next time."

Before she could even peek up at him Sasuke appeared merely feet away, one hand extended and the other coolly resting in his pocket. Sakura took it in her own firmly, the warmth of his palm traveling up her arm and into the pit of her stomach.

"I had fun tonight," She smiled, her pearly green eyes so inviting and pure Sasuke couldn't help by smile back.

"Obviously. You were with me," He smirked, squeezing her hand. Sakura rolled her eyes, backing into her apartment.

" _Goodnight_ ," she said sternly, hiding her smile.

As the door closed, Sakura could see the corner of Sasuke's mouth twitch ever so slightly— and she thought perhaps maybe, amid the awkwardness, that the two of them had hope.

 _You're not half bad, Sasuke. Not bad at all._

* * *

 **A/N: Heya! Thanks for reading! Damn this took me forever to write… I know its super long, but I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Please review if you can and let me know what you think! I have the next chapter planned out, so hopefully, I can get that out soon.**

 **Best**

 **\- Mia**

 **PS: Sorry for grammar/spelling errors.**

 **PPS: Below is a little rant I have concerning college relationship, ect. Feel free to skip it, especially if it does not / will not apply to you. Cheers!**

 *****Cue little side rant on college relationships*****

 **** This is in response to the Band-Aid scene, and Sakura's thought process for deciding AGAINST kissing Sasuke (aka the reason I didn't want them to hook up so soon)****

 **I put myself in Sakura's shoes in this situation— As a current college senior, I feel for Sakura when it comes to all this crazy boy stuff, and I largely model her opinions on it after my own (guilty!). In my experience at college, a lot of guys were little shits that would only be friendly to me so they could (try to, and sometimes successfully) get in my pants. I naturally tend to befriend more guys than girls, so when it turned out that more than half of those friendships were falsely created on the assumption that they could get some ass from it, it was really hurtful, not only to my self-esteem, but also my own value as a woman. The strategy they use is: they befriend (months of hanging out), get you drunk, attempt to hook up, and then make you feel bad for stopping the hook up or not hooking up with them at all. Thinking back on it, I wondered how exactly boys could make you "feel bad" for not doing something you never wanted to do. After some reflection, I concluded that it stemmed from this stupid social construct that both men _and_ women believe while in college (and out of college), that if a guy/girl is nice to you, you owe him/her something. You would be surprised at how many people believe(d) this, myself included. There was a subconscious guilt I felt upon refusing to hook up with said guy/friend, simply because he had always been nothing but nice to me. Sounds stupid when you write it out, no? I'm being one hundred percent transparent about this, though— this sick delusion that young men and women have about the so called "sexual obligation" is real, damaging, and needs to stop.**

 **Be careful out there ladies (and guys! Because this can also go the other way around). I'm not saying Sasuke is a bad guy here at all, (I think I've made it clear that he's a pretty good guy), just giving some life advice and some defense as to why I didn't want Sakura to jump the gun with Sasuke. College guys are dicks. Not all of them, but a good majority. I had the impression going into college that if you were friends and ended up hooking up with each other, then that meant there was a mutual desire to be something more than friends. NOPE doesn't always work like that apparently. It was me being caught up in the college "hook up culture", while not actually wanting to participate in it. If you want to participate, power to you! But don't be like me, seeking a "dating culture" within the "hook up culture".**

 **Ironically enough, my boyfriend and I started dating because we hooked up one drunken night. I'd been friends with him for three years before. So I guess you just need to judge people for yourself haha anyways that's the end of my rant. I figured if any high school senior or rising college freshman read this then it may enlighten (or warn) them. Then again, I'm not sure if the content of my story is really appropriate for that age group… Oh well haha**

 **Live long and prosper peeps**


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